Captain Atom Annual Vol 1 1

"The Dark Side of the Force": An alien spaceship crash land in a limestone quarry outside of a city. Captain Atom is sent to investigate the vessel and its passenger steps out. The alien is a towering humanoid being with a rock-like makeup. Captain Atom tries to make peaceful contact but the cre

Synopsis for "The Dark Side of the Force"

An alien spaceship crash land in a limestone quarry outside of a city. Captain Atom is sent to investigate the vessel and its passenger steps out. The alien is a towering humanoid being with a rock-like makeup. Captain Atom tries to make peaceful contact but the creature attacks him with dark matter energy while speaking in perfect English; the "alien" is Clifford Zmeck. Both Zmeck and Nathaniel engage in battle, fighting on equal terms of power as a large crowd of onlookers and the media watches on. General Eiling and Megala mastermind this battle in order to gauge Zmeck's capabilities. After Nathaniel is subdue in hardened black matter, Zmeck soon undergoes the molting process. At this moment, Eiling use the timing of the molting and the watching media to order Martin Allard, who is at the site, to attack Zmeck. Megala then quickly cloak the entire quarry with special effects and Zmeck falls unconscious after he undergoes the molting process.

Eiling and Megala then exit the "spaceship" where they were observing the entire operation much to the shock and anger of Nathaniel. He is more angered to confirm his knowledge that there was a second Captain Atom Project. Eiling confirms this, but unlike Captain Atom, Zmeck was made to be more stronger than his predecessor. The orchestrated fight was to introduce Zmeck into the public as the next superhero, "Major Force"...and Eiling wants Nathaniel's help to perpetuate the cover story. As no one would actually believe that the fight with Zmeck was a hoax and without jeopardizing his trust to his children, Nathaniel reluctantly follow Eiling's orders. Eiling and his men make their leave through a secret underground tunnel while Nathaniel takes in Zmeck and containing the explosion of the spaceship in which it wipes out all traces inside the quarry.

Captain Atom later arrange a public conference in which he claims that "the Major" (Allard) was merged with the "alien" into a single being. He then introduce his "super-hero ally" Major Force.

Ten days later, Major Force begins his first attempt as a superhero. His first action is sealing a hole in a dam. However, he generated too much excessive matter in which it hit a Red Cross helicopter and causing it to crash and killing its crew. But Major Force blatantly ignore the needless deaths while boasting about the thousands of lives he saved. He then participate in dealing with a hostage crisis in which he harm both the kidnappers and the hostages. His careless disregard for human life does not bode well for the public and his handlers. While Eiling scramble to have his P.R. people to create a cover story for Zmeck's psychotic behavior, Captain Atom appear on television to publicly denounce his "friend's" actions (while also subtly criticizing Eiling) and urging Major Force to curtail his powers to prevent further harm.

Nathaniel is soon confronted by Zmeck, who claims that after seeing Nathaniel on TV he accepted that he is not suited as a superhero and is willing to turn himself to Eiling and Megala. But while en-route to Eiling's compound, Zmeck attack Nathaniel. He is not pleased by what Captain Atom said about him on public television. Eiling and Megala are observing this unprovoked battle through Zmeck's implants and finally accept that Major Force is stepping out of bounds. Allard then detonate a implant in Zmeck's left hand before rendering Zmeck unconscious.

Nathaniel is left deeply disgusted at Eiling for creating and underestimating Major Force, and at himself for being involved in his machinations. He then throws Zmeck into Eiling's compound to announce his decision of cutting all ties with Eiling.